The importance of herbal medicine use in the German health-care system: prevalence, usage pattern, and influencing factors

Abstract

BackgroundPrevalence rates for herbal medicine (HM) have been increasing worldwide. However, little is known about prevalence, user characteristics, usage pattern and factors influencing HM usage for the general German population.MethodsA nationwide online survey on HM usage was conducted in Germany. The 2906 participants were categorised into three groups: the ones who used HM in the last 12 months, the ones who did not use HM in the last 12 months but in their lifetime, and the ones who did not use HM until now. Data were analysed by descriptive statistics, Chi Square tests and binary hierarchical logistic regression analyses.ResultsPrevalence rates of HM were found to be very high for the general German population. Self-medication appeared as a common praxis, when at the same time HM users responded that they do not inform their physician about it, rate their knowledge about HM as somewhat poor, and use the internet as the most frequent source of information. The HM user in the last 12 months was found to include people that were more likely female, highly educated, privately insured, employed, and engaged in a more health-oriented lifestyle. While certain sociodemographic- and health-related variables influence HM usage vs. non-usage, they explain variance only to a limited extent. For distinguishing the user in the last 12 months vs. the less recent user who did not use HM in the last 12 months, ratings on different reasons for HM usage were found to perform better as predictors than sociodemographic- and health-related variables.ConclusionsThis study demonstrated that HM usage plays an essential role in the German health-care system. Furthermore, the HM usage pattern may be potentially harmful for patients, as it included self-medication, little knowledge on interaction- and side-effects of HM, and a lack of communication with physicians about the usage. Moreover, prediction of HM usage in the previous year is impacted by variables beyond conventional sociodemographic- and health-related ones. In view of the high prevalence rates of HM in Germany, medical as well as health service providers should be aware of these issues.

Facilitators and barriers to the clinical administration of herbal medicine in Ghana: a qualitative study

“…Another facilitator expressed in this study is patient’s belief regarding herbal medicine which is consistent with a number of studies [ 4 , 13 , 21 , 28 , 46 ]. The nurses uttered that a patient with a positive belief about herbal medicine will surely take the medication [ 4 , 21 , 28 , 46 ]. The previous studies further buttressing the assertion by nurses posited positive beliefs such as the natural nature and beneficial role of CAM as reasons for CAM use [ 4 , 21 ].…”

“…The nurses uttered that a patient with a positive belief about herbal medicine will surely take the medication [ 4 , 21 , 28 , 46 ]. The previous studies further buttressing the assertion by nurses posited positive beliefs such as the natural nature and beneficial role of CAM as reasons for CAM use [ 4 , 21 ]. At the Brim South District in the Eastern Region of Ghana, some midwives who had positive belief in the effectiveness of CAM recommended its use among pregnant women attending their facilities [ 18 ].…”

“…Traditional herbal medicine is a medications naturally made from plants with little or without industrial effect [ 2 ]. In Germany, continuous use of herbal medicine is predominant among 86.7% of the general population [ 4 ]. An average of 58.2% of the population in Ethiopia and Nigeria are reported to use traditional complementary and alternative medicine [ 5 ].…”

The Consequences of General Medication Beliefs Measured by the Beliefs about Medicine Questionnaire on Medication Adherence: A Systematic Review

“…Patients from Asian cultural backgrounds expressed more negative views about medication than those from European cultural backgrounds. The exception for European backgrounds was that the use of herbal remedies was found to be very high in the general German population [ 35 ]. Patients from Asian cultural backgrounds were significantly more likely to perceive medicines as being intrinsically harmful, addictive substances and that the unnatural origins of medicines was dangerous and that complementary treatments are more ‘natural’ and therefore safer [ 15 ].…”

“I need personal experiences or some sort of documentation”: a qualitative study on where people with multiple sclerosis seek information on dietary and herbal supplements

“…In the existing literature, it is reported that people, including PwMS who use DIHES, often receive their information on DIHES from sources such as family, friends, books, magazines, or the internet [ 6 , 36 – 38 ]. The present study finds that from the participants’ perspective, knowledge regarding DIHES did not have to be scientifically based to be perceived as valid and useful.…”